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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel and Hamas “want to have that ceasefire” in Gaza, President Trump said yesterday as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Palestinian sources, Israel’s refusal to allow the free and safe entry of aid into Gaza remains the main obstacle to progress in the ongoing truce talks. Barak Ravid reports for Axios; Reuters reports.
The United States and Israel are working to “find countries” that would give Palestinians “a better future,” Netanyahu told reporters yesterday, stating that “if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave.” Separately, the Israeli leader suggested that a Palestinian state would be “a platform to destroy Israel.” Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, Matt Spetalnick, and Alexander Cornwell report for Reuters; Reuters reports.
Palestinian health officials today said that Israeli strikes have killed 18 people, while the Israeli military said that a militant explosive attack killed five and wounded 14 Israeli soldiers in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza. Tia Goldenberg, Fatma Khaled, and Wafaa Shurafa report for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — AID SUPPLY CRISIS
The repeated killings of Palestinians at the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) food distribution sites in Gaza are an outcome of the aid project’s failed design and departures from long-established norms for aid distribution in the territory, according to humanitarian provision experts, witness testimony, and visual evidence. The GHF rejected the criticism of the “so-called experts” and asserted that the repeated killings were unrelated to its aid centres. Louisa Loveluck, Gerry Shih, Miriam Berger, Imogen Piper, Jarrett Ley, and Hazem Balousha report for the Washington Post.
A proposal bearing GHF’s name seen by Reuters describes a plan to build large-scale camps inside, and possibly outside, Gaza to house the Palestinian population in order to “replac[e] Hamas’ control.” According to sources, the plan to create such “Humanitarian Transit Areas” has been submitted to the Trump administration and was recently discussed in the White House. The GHF declined that it had submitted the proposal and said that it “is not planning for or implementing Humanitarian Transit Areas.” Jonathan Landay and Aram Roston report.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The United States will “have to send more weapons” to Ukraine as “they are getting hit very hard” and “have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said yesterday. A Pentagon spokesperson later said that at Trump’s direction, the Defense Department is “sending additional defensive weapons to Ukraine.” According to sources, Trump also told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday that he wasn’t responsible for the halt in weapons shipments. The National Security Council will discuss the new weapons deliveries to Ukraine today, other sources add. Lara Seligman and Alexander Ward report for the Wall Street Journal.
Ukrainian and U.S. officials will hold a series of high-level meetings in Italy and Ukraine over the coming week, with U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg set to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Rome, sources say. Paul McLeary reports for POLITICO.
Zelenskyy and Trump discussed replacing the current Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. during their Friday phone call, a source says. Daryna Krasnolutska reports for Bloomberg News.
The United Kingdom yesterday sanctioned the head and deputy head of Russia’s radiological chemical and biological defense troops and a Russian entity for their role in the transfer and use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, the British government said. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE
In an interview released yesterday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that he believes that the United States and Iran can resolve their differences “through dialogue and talks” but trust is a potential issue, questioning whether Iran can be sure that the United States would not give Israel permission to attack Iran again. Pezeshkian also claimed that Israel tried to assassinate him. Doina Chiacu for Reuters.
Netanyahu’s top adviser, Ron Dermer, told Israeli officials that he thinks Trump could green light renewed Israeli attacks on Iran if Tehran tries to revive its nuclear program, sources say. Dermer last week met with Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, the sources added. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The United States has scheduled talks with Iran, Trump said yesterday, adding that Tehran “wants to talk.” U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said that the meeting would likely take place next week. Jeff Mason, Andrea Shalal, Matt Spetalnick, and Alexander Cornwell report for Reuters
HOUTHI DEVELOPMENTS
Iran-backed Houthi rebels yesterday claimed the Sunday attack that sank the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier and launched an new attack on a Liberian-flagged cargo ship. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations today said that the vessel is under “continuous attack,” with at least two people on board reported to be hurt and two crew members reported missing. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CEASEFIRE — U.S. RESPONSE
The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and U.S. special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, yesterday said he was “unbelievably satisfied” with Lebanon’s response to a U.S. proposal of a strategy to disarm Hezbollah. Barrack added that he believed that the “Israelis do not want war with Lebanon.” Maya Gebeily reports for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Trump yesterday sent letters announcing new tariff rates for Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Myanmar, Laos, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia, and Thailand should the countries not conclude trade deals with the United States by August 1. Trump also signed an executive order extending the date for all “reciprocal” tariffs, with the exception of China, to the same date. Elisabeth Buchwald and John Liu report for CNN.
The Trump administration will today revoke the foreign terrorist organization designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group led by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to a notice from Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted in the federal register yesterday. Jennifer Hansler reports for CNN.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yesterday described Trump’s threat to impose a tariff on countries “aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS” as “reckless,” adding that it is “not right for a president of a country the size of the United States to threaten the world online.” Carrie Kahn reports for NPR.
Brazil “is doing a terrible thing on their treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Trump said in a social media post yesterday. Bolsonaro is facing a trial over his alleged participation in a plot to overturn the results of Brazil’s 2022 election. Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO.
The State Department today told Reuters that it has restored $6.8 million in funding for Tibetans in South Asia, confirming comments made by Tibet’s government-in-exile last week. Reuters reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Iran has expelled approximately 800,000 Afghan refugees from its territory since March, in a campaign that sharply accelerated in June, a spokesperson for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said yesterday. More than 50,000 people crossed back into Afghanistan last Friday, the spokesperson said. Nick Cumming-Bruce reports for the New York Times.
Kenyan police yesterday fired at crowds of protesters marking the 35th anniversary of Kenya’s pro-democracy rallies in Nairobi. The police said that 11 people had died in the protests, without specifying who was responsible for the killings. Edwin Okoth and Humphrey Malalo report for Reuters.
The U.N. General Assembly yesterday adopted a resolution calling on Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and emphasizing the importance of “creating opportunities for economic recovery” in Afghanistan. The United States opposed the resolution. Edith Lederer reports for AP News.
The International Court of Justice yesterday announced that it will issue an advisory opinion on countries’ legal obligations to fight climate change on July 23. Reuters reports.
Russian law enforcement authorities yesterday said that Russia’s former transport minister was found dead from a gunshot wound, hours after the Kremlin announced he had been relieved of his duties. The minister served as governor of the Kursk region for nearly six years before being appointed to the transport post in 2024. Law enforcement authorities said they were investigating the death as a possible suicide. Paul Sonne reports for the New York Times.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The Salvadorian government told the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights that the Trump administration maintains control of the Venezuelan men deported to a maximum security prison in El Salvador, according to a report by Salvadorian officials submitted to court yesterday by the migrants’ lawyers. The report appears to contradict the public statements by the Trump administration. Mark Sherman reports for AP News.
The Homeland Security Department will terminate the Temporary Protected Status of 72,000 Hondurans and 4,000 Nicaraguans living in the United States effective September 6, according to a pair of Federal Register notices posted yesterday. People from Honduras and Nicaragua have had access to TPS protections since 1999. Ted Hesson reports for Reuters.
The Trump administration will take steps to deport Kilmar Ábrego García before his criminal trial if he is released from criminal custody, a Justice Department official said yesterday. The judge overseeing the case described the Trump administration’s changing statements on their policy toward Ábrego García as “like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall,” and ordered the administration to produce an official with knowledge of the plans to testify before Thursday. Devan Cole and Molly Reinmann report for CNN; Steve Thompson reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The McAllen, Texas police have shot dead a man with a rifle after he opened fire at a Border Patrol facility in Texas early yesterday, the DHS has said. Two officers and a border patrol employee were injured in the attack, officials said, adding that the man’s motive has not yet been determined. Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations without losing their status as tax-exempt nonprofits, the Internal Revenue Service said yesterday in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters. The new policy carves out an exemption to a decades-old ban on political activity. David A. Fahrenthold reports for the New York Times.
The Veteran Affairs Department yesterday announced that it is no longer planning to conduct a large-scale reduction in force directed by DOGE as it is on pace to reduce its total staff by nearly 30,000 employees by the end of this fiscal year. The Trump administration initially planned to cut VA by roughly 83,000 employees, a decision that drew blowback from several veterans groups, Congress and VA staff. Mariana Alfaro, Hannah Natanson, and Meryl Kornfield report for the Washington Post.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt yesterday pushed back against claims that DOGE cuts to the National Weather Service had played a role in the deadly floods that killed over 100 people in Texas, telling reporters that the weather service issued alerts and “it’s not the administration’s fault that the flood hit when it did.” Gregory Svirnovskiy reports for POLITICO.
The Health and Human Services Department has emailed its staff a questionnaire asking them to report cases of “discrimination” due to past diversity, equity, and inclusion directives, according to an email seen by POLITICO. The email did not specify what action HHS will take following the survey. Danny Nguyen reports.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday issued an order temporarily restraining the Trump administration from enforcing a provision of Trump’s sweeping megabill that would bar Medicaid users from coverage with a health care provider that also provides abortion services. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America brought the lawsuit. Sarah Owermohle and Kaanita Iyer report for CNN.
A coalition of doctors’ groups led by the American Academy of Pediatrics yesterday filed a lawsuit against Health and Human Services’ directive that the government would no longer recommend Covid-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant people and children. The organizations argue that the department’s move runs “contrary to the wealth of data and peer-reviewed studies” and violates longstanding policy governing U.S. immunization policy. Lauren Gardner reports for POLITICO.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
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